More than thirty organizations joined the Health Fund in thanking Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Secretary Janet Stanek for a recent policy change that increased reimbursement rates for Community Health Workers (CHWs). The increased reimbursement rates will make it more financially viable for clinics, hospitals and community organizations to continue employing CHWs.

CHWs are community members trained to work with the local health care and social services systems to bridge the gap between these systems and their clients. CHWs are also referred to as: health navigator, promotor(a), advocate, and educator. Utilizing CHWs leads to improvements in health outcomes, increased access to appropriate services and care, and a financial return on investment.

KDHE officially recognized the CHW profession in 2022 when the state launched the certification process for CHWs. In 2023, the state Medicaid Office began reimbursing for services provided by CHWs. However, partners raised concerns about the rates, which is why the decision by KDHE and the Medicaid Office to increase reimbursement rates is critically important to sustaining CHWs in Kansas.

In addition to thanking Secretary Stanek as well as the KDHE and Medicaid teams, the partners also committed to working with the agencies on the implementation of the policy as well as on any emerging issues to ensure CHWs remain a part of care delivery teams in Kansas.

You can view the thank you letter here.

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